Masks of Illusion
by Stelra Etnae
Summary: An encounter in her childhood changes her entire life. After Hinamori Momo witnessed the gruesome experiments of Hollowfication, she swore to reveal Aizen's true colours to the world. Thus, she climbs to his side to cause his downfall. Based on storyline
1. Splitting Void

**_This story explores a different view of Hinamori Momo's actions in the manga. I feel that Hinamori isn't as weak and gullible as she seems. Therefore, this fic was born. I hope you enjoy it!_**

* * *

It was the dead of the night. In one of districts far from Seireitei, a scream pierced the silent night. More screams followed, gradually becoming more choked before they vanished altogether. The soft thud of clothing falling to the ground was heard.

A little dark-haired girl was huddled under the roots of a large tree, shivering. The eerie screams had stopped, yet she dared not move from her hiding-place. Suddenly hearing the sound of footsteps treading across the grassy ground, she shrank further into the hole, fearing to be discovered as a witness to that night's gruesome events.

"... I see," said a voice after a moment's observation of the situation. "An ordinary soul cannot contain the prototype..."

One of his companions looked at him. "What should we do? Should we put a halt to the experiment?"

"No. Let's continue a little longer."

The underlying malice of this man's voice sent shivers down the child's spine. Not even daring to breathe, she stayed in the small cave until the sounds of people faded thoroughly, leaving only the natural sounds of the forest. Only then did she crawl up to the surface again. After looking back at the abandoned clothing lying on the floor with horror-filled fascination, she fled as fast as her small form allowed her.

* * *

Despite the time that had passed, Momo still remembered the incident as if it were yesterday. Nevertheless, she still determinedly trudged through the forest. There was a certain kind of herb that only blooms at night, and she collected it for a living. Money was hard to find in this district.

Voices could be heard from the edge of the woods. Curious, she headed towards it silently.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!"

Momo bit her lip. Not again! She ducked behind a tree, shivering, clamping her hands over her ears in a futile effort to block out the noise. Suddenly, an enormous pressure descended on her. Her legs gave way, causing her to collapse onto the ground. She had never felt anything like this before. For no apparent reason, her lungs seemed to have trouble working. She took little gasps of air, hoping that she wouldn't be discovered. Luckily, the people present had more important things to deal with than a little girl.

"Let's finish this, Hirako-taichou. You were the perfect captain. Because of your vigilance, you kept me by your side. And because of your vigilance, you kept your distance. By watching me, you thought to control my movements. ...Remember this in the end. The betrayal you see is trivial. What is truly fearsome is the betrayal you don't see, Hirako-taichou. Goodbye."

She finally managed to stand on her feet, shaking all over and sweating profusely. She ran, and ran, and ran. The only thing on her mind was to get as far away from that place as possible.

Momo didn't know how long she had been running, but the sun's first rays were appearing on the horizon by the time she collapsed from exhaustion. She vaguely saw a large white wall in the distance before sinking into blissful oblivion.

* * *

**_Thus, the introduction chapter has ended. Thank you for reading! Please tell me what you think! Should I continue this story? Love it, hate it? Tell me. Please review!_**


	2. Shot of Red Fire

**_Things will start picking up from here on! Let me explain how this story works. I use real scenes from the manga, and then change the meanings of the conversations/actions. Only the meanings, not the actual scene. All scenes with Hinamori will included, with some original scenes as well to help the flow. Happy reading!_**

* * *

Years had passed since Granny had found her lying unconscious in West Rukongai's First District, but Momo would never forget that man from that horrible night.

The first period of time in this new home had been difficult. Junrin'nan was a place where shinigami frequented. The first time she saw a black shihakusho in the daylight, she had run back to Granny's house. She would hide behind Granny every time they met a shinigami on the streets. But slowly, she began to understand that not all shinigami were like that person.

In time, she made friends with some children in the district too. Tatsukichi and Ayumi, or Tecchin and A-chan, as she called them, were nice and we all got along well, but the person she treasured the most was the small white-haired boy she had found one fateful winter day.

Momo had gone out to get something from the shops, but it had started snowing heavily before she could get back. After the sky cleared, she had to trudge through the knee-deep snow.

"It's so cold... Ah!" She tripped over something. "Itai..." She looked back at the offending object and saw something that was spiky and white. At closer inspection, it looked like hair. She shrieked when she realized it was a _head_.

"Urusai, baka!"

"Eh? Oh! Dai-dai-daijoubu?" She bolted up and started digging with her hands. "Here, let me get you out! Are you cold?"

He didn't say anything as she dragged him out of the icy powder and all the way to Granny's house.

"What's your name? I'm Hinamori Momo," she said as she dried off the boy's snowy bangs with a towel.

"...Hitsugaya Toushirou."

"Well, I hope you'll enjoy living here, Shirou-chan!" Momo patted his head.

He pushed her hand away and frowned. "Don't call me Shirou-chan!"

* * *

It had been some time since Toushirou moved in with Granny and Momo. Seirei Academy was accepting new students. Momo decided to enrol as a shinigami trainee.

After donning her brand new academy shihakusho, she crouched over Toushirou. The boy's emerald green eyes opened. "Ohayao~! Shirou-chan!"

As expected, Toushirou looked up at her with an irritated expression. "...Get out of my face."

"Come on!" She stood up. "Get up and eat your breakfast! It's my first day, I don't want to be late! I'm just going to say goodbye to Tecchin and A-chan next door, 'kay?" She ran out of the house to meet them.

"Okay then, I'm going, Shirou-chan." She couldn't help but ruffle up Toushirou's hair.

Toushirou's eyebrow twitched violently. "Quit calling me Shirou-chan! And don't pat my head!" He swatted her hand away.

"When you can enroll in the same place as me, I'll call you by your name."

"Screw that. As if I'd want to go to the shinigami school."

"After I move into the dorm, I'll still come back during holidays to see you! Ja ne!"

"Don't bother to come back, Bed-wetter Momo."

She couldn't help but smile at their banter. Even though Toushirou kept up that grumpy expression, she knew he really cared. That was just the way he expressed himself.

* * *

There were many students in the hall. After the orientation, they headed towards their respective classes. Momo was in Freshman Class 1, under Oounabara Gengorou-sensei.

Then there were the kidou classes. The teacher had taught them a new spell, and she was part of the first group to have to demonstrate it.

"Hadou practice, start!"

"Hai!"

Concentrating, she took her position and held one arm out, palm facing the target, her other hand steadying it. She heard her classmates muttering the incantation, but tuned them out and focused on her casting. "Ye Lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, The sea barrier surges, March on to the south! Hadou no 31, Shakkahou!" A ball of red light formed in her hand, and she had to use all her strength to maintain her posture as her arm shook from the strain. The attack burst from her hand, heading towards the target. It hit! Not right at the center, but at least it reached it!

She gaped for a moment. When she reached her seat, the girl next to me complimented her. "Sugoi, Hinamori-san! On the first try!"

"Just luck! Just luck!" she said, smiling at her new friend.

A commotion caused them to look up. A boy with blond hair had just hit the target right in the center! Amazing!

The next group went forward. Suddenly, smoke filled the area, and a few people were knocked down. Sparks flew everywhere. "Na- na- na- nani? What was that?"

"An explosion? What in the..."

The smoke cleared, and they saw a red-haired guy standing there, looking burnt and his clothes in disarray.

The teacher looked on in exasperation. "Abarai... Stay after class for extra practice."

"Hai..." he sighed, shoulders drooping.

* * *

Momo followed the crowd forming at the entrance of the academy. Despite her efforts, she couldn't see over her seniors' shoulders.

"Ano, what is everyone looking at?" A senior standing next to her noticed her and answered, "Oh, one of the Gotei 13 captains is coming to inspect the academy."

One of the captains? The crowd moved, and she found herself being pushed out forward. Flustered, she moved back into the line. Thankfully, her current position gave her a clear view of the happenings.

She stared at the captain, her mouth hanging open. _'It- it's that person from years ago! He is a captain?!'_ She suddenly realized that no one would believe her if she just told them about his misdoings. She had to get to top. She needed discover and overturn all his plans. To do so, she had to become the person closest to him. His vice-captain!

* * *

Momo decided that she had to put down her facade from the beginning to be convincing. It wouldn't do to suddenly become Aizen's fan after she becomes an officer. It had to start now, right after she had apparently saw Aizen-taichou for the first time. Yes, she had finally found out his name. Aizen Sousuke.

She didn't want to lie to Toushirou, but she had to warn him about Aizen somehow. She trusted him to keep her secret, but knowing him, he would do everything to stop her. She couldn't tell him that she hates Aizen, and then become Aizen's avid follower. Toushirou would surely notice. The plan sounded like madness, but she couldn't think of any other solution. So, she decided to make him take more notice of Aizen, should he ever join the ranks of the Gotei 13.

"Captains are totally amazing! The reiatsu coming from their bodies is completely different from ours!" Now she knew what the pressure she felt that night was. Reiatsu, if not controlled, would press down on those too weak to withstand it.

She watched Toushirou gobble down the watermelons. "Are you listening, Shirou-chan?"

"I told you not to call me Shirou-chan!" He spit a row of seeds at her. "And why do you come back every time you get a day off? Is there that little to do at shinigami school?"

She sighed. "Hey, I come back to hang out with you."

"No one asked you to." Truthfully, she really treasured these moments together, eating watermelon on the porch. Although Toushirou didn't say so, she's sure he likes it too.

"When I become a shinigami, I'll definitely join Aizen-taichou's 5th Squad!"

"Hmm..." Toushirou didn't even bother to look at her.

"What? I'm serious!"

"Hmm..."

In her heart, she swore that she would never let Aizen get his hands on her precious friend. She would do anything to keep him from danger.

* * *

**_Please review!_**


	3. Blue Fire, Crash Down

**_Yay, the next chapter!_**

* * *

It was six months since class that started. Class 1 had field practice against dummy Hollows in the real world. She packed the required stuff and headed towards where they had set up the Senkaimon.

Three six-year seniors, Hisagi, Kanisawa and Aoga, were there to guide them into the living world. More were waiting at the training area.

They had picked some cards earlier, and were told to look for their groups based on them. She wandered around and noticed that Renji and Kira were holding the same card as her.

"A-ano, Yorushiku."

"Ah, it's Hinamori."

"Yorushiku," said Kira, smiling.

They arrived at the living world. They formulated a plan to deal with the dummy Hollow. Renji would attack first. Should it be persistent, Momo would then hit it with kidou. Lastly, Kira would finish it off. It worked perfectly.

Renji bragged that he could have finished it off by himself, and would rather fight a real Hollow. She ignored him and steered him back towards the rally point.

Suddenly, she sensed something behind them. Startled, she looked back but saw nothing. She dismissed it as a misconception.

They had almost reached the meeting place when a scream rang out. Running quickly, they saw a gigantic Hollow. Kanisawa was speared by its claw. Enraged, Aoga ran forward to attack it, but was finished off. Hisagi ordered the first years to run away.

Although everyone was fleeing, Momo could only stand there and look on in horror. _'This... This is like the night all those years ago.' _She now recognized the strange things that had been on some of the people's faces as a Hollow's mask.

_'For a Hollow to pass the sixth-years' barrier... How could it be? Is it all Aizen's doing? Hisagi-sempai is a prospective high-ranking officer, is Aizen trying to get rid of him in case he ruins his plans? But why was everyone running? Shouldn't we help Hisagi-sempai?'_ Momo's hands clenched into fists in the fabric of her hakama.

Kira-kun noticed her and ran back. He told her to run away, that the group leader's orders were absolute. _'But...!'_

Hisagi had avoided most of the attacks, but he was wounded in the eye. _'He won't be able to deal with it on his own!'_

Jumping into action, she pulled out her katana. Her companions, seeing her determination, followed suit. The three dashed towards the hollow, blocking its razor-sharp claws just in time.

"Our deepest apologies! We're disobeying orders!"

"We came to save you, so please overlook it, alright sempai?"

They finally managed to hit the Hollow's claws away, and cast Shakkaho together. The Huge Hollow was blinded for a moment, and they took the chance to run.

Reaching an open space, the atmosphere was definitely off. Hollows started appearing from holes in the sky. _'It had called its friends! How can we even think of facing so many Huge Hollows?! Had I joined the shinigami academy, only to end with this?'_

Just when they thought they were doomed, something soared through the air and speared the Hollow through the head.

"Sorry for the wait. We've come to assist."

Hisagi gasped. "You people are... 5th Squad... Aizen-taichou, Ichimaru-fukutaichou!"

Momo stared with wide eyes as Aizen walked towards her, and patted her head. "You stuck it out well. You must have been scared. Everything is alright now. Now you can rest and leave it up to us." She was definitely frightened, but wasn't sure whether she was more scared of the Hollows or him.

"Ikorose, Shinsou." Ichimaru's zanpakuto sliced through the Hollows with utter ease. So this is the power of the ranked officers...

Aizen held out one hand armed with kidou to stop a Hollow rushing at him. The Hollow dissolved into nothing before their very eyes. _'This man... is so insanely powerful.'_

* * *

When Momo reached her fifth year in Seirei Academy, the workload increased. She worked hard, and kept up her facade. Nothing was going stop her from achieving the vice-captain position. Apparently Ichimaru was being nominated to fill the empty Third Division captain spot. Well, she was definitely going to take that vacancy he leaves behind.

One thing she regretted about this aim was that she had less time to return home. She hadn't seen Toushirou or Granny since school started. She really missed them, but at least she promised that she'd go back during the summer holiday. She wouldn't break her promise despite any work she had.

There was a rumor that a student had entered recently, even though the registration had passed. He had been recommended by a ranked officer of the Gotei 13. She was very busy, so she hadn't had a chance to catch a sight of him yet.

It was around mid-term when she finally met him. The so-called genius who had skipped at least a grade by then. "Oi, Bed-wetter Momo."

"I don't do that anymore, Shiro-chan!" she whined before she realized that he shouldn't even be there. But there he was wearing a blue and white shihakusho, uniform of the boys in the shinigami academy.

"You promised to call me Hitsugaya!"

She ignored that. "How..." But her surprised mumbling was cut short by a commotion in the courtyard.

"A captain is inspecting the academy!"

Her eyes widened. A captain? Could it be...? "Quick! It might be Aizen-taichou!" Now that Toushirou was training to be a shinigami, the urgency of him to notice Aizen more had increased. There was no way she was letting Aizen get this childhood friend of hers in his claws!

Before they could reach the main entrance, a figure in a black shihakusho popped up in front of them. Momo blinked at amount of skin shown at her loose collar which the scarf tied around her neck did nothing to hide.

"Tou-shi-rou-kun!" The blonde lady said in a sing-song voice, catching Toushirou in a suffocating hug.

"Get off me!"

"Ara? Is this your girlfriend?" she let go of Toushirou. "I am Matsumoto Rangiku, third-seat of the Tenth Division, Yorushiku."

"Do-douzo yorushiku, Matsumoto-san! I-I'm Hinamori Momo!" Something dawned in her mind. "Shiro-chan... Could it be...? You're the tensai who everyone is talking about?!"

"Ah, it's because of his amazing reiatsu. You've learnt to control it?"

Toushirou scowled. "Of course. I don't want to repetition of that incident." Seeing my baffled expression, he told me, "I almost froze Granny, only a few days since you left for school. My main purpose of coming here is to control my reiatsu. Don't worry," he added quickly, seeing my worry, "I went to see Granny a few days ago, and she's doing fine."

"Thank goodness...." Seeing his downcast expression, she ruffled his hair softly. "It's not your fault, Shiro-chan."

"Rangiku-chan! We're going now!"

"Hai, hai, Taichou!" Matsumoto-san started running towards the main gate, where a dark-haired man wearing a captain's haori stood with his honey-haired vice-captain. Turning around, she waved at them.

"She's nice, ne, Shiro-chan?"

"Tch," he said, turning away. "And don't call me Shiro-chan."

* * *

She stood panting in center of the deserted training field. All around her, the wooden targets were completely ruined after being ruthlessly assaulted her kidou. _'I have to get stronger! There's no way I can even touch Aizen otherwise, let alone defeat him!'_

Suddenly, the empty space around her dissolved into a forest full of plum trees. The petals of the flowers floated down in an ever-constant stream, caressing her face with their soft texture. Wide eyed, she looked around her. "Where am I?"

"Within."

"Within? Am I... inside my mind?" Her eyes landed on a figure standing some distance away. The falling flowers made the person a flickering image to her eyes. Yet, she could have sworn that the other smiled.

"Nothing is as it seems. You could be within yourself, yet outside. This could be reality, or an illusion. I am myself, but I am you as well."

"You are part of my soul. Lend me your power for me to achieve my dreams!" Momo locked eyes with the spirit despite the distance and distraction, confident that her request would be granted.

"I have always been with you, since the beginning. Now, truly prove to me that you are worthy of wielding my power! Say my name!"

Momo opened her eyes to face the last target left standing. "Hajike, Tobiume!" And it exploded.

* * *

Thank you for reading! I see quite a number of alerts, but no reviews! T_T Please review! I would love to receive your comments about this fic, and Hinamori's personality as well.

I have a trial for an important exam coming up, so I won't be able to update for a couple of weeks. Hope to see some reviews when I get back, and I'll be sure to post ASAP.

Thank you for supporting this story! Review~!


	4. Crawling Rope

**_My exams are finally done! I'm back! So here's the next chapter! Just a little bit away from the Bleach main storyline! This chapter comprises of original scenes as there is no official chapters showing her work towards vice-captainship. The true twisting begins in the next chapter! Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy reading this!_**

* * *

As she donned the black shihakusho for the very first time, she felt that she had passed the first phase of her plan. Renji, Kira and her had all been placed in the Fifth Division. She felt that it shows that Aizen has noticed them. It increased the chances of her becoming his new vice-captain, but also meant that they had a higher likeliness of being used in his plot.

But the most important thing now is for her to uncover what he plans to do to Soul Society.

* * *

Momo weaved through the hallways of the Fifth Division, anxious to get the paperwork to the office as fast as possible. She had to make a good impression. Now that she was a seated officer, she was much closer to succeeding Ichimaru Gin's place as Aizen's vice-captain.

The spot had been empty for some time while Aizen looked over the ranked shinigami for a suitable person to become his second-in-command. A suitable person to manipulate. She was determined to take that place, in order to find out more able Aizen. Also, she couldn't let any of her friends become pawns in the man's sinister plans. That was something that would undoubtedly happen should they come into close range with Aizen without knowing his true colors.

In her haste, she didn't see a person standing in the middle of the corridor until it was too late. Reeling back from the collision, she tightened her hold on the papers so that more wouldn't fall from her grasp.

"Hya, if it isn't Hinamori-chan..." The familiar voice froze her in her movement to collect a few scattered papers.

"I'm very sorry, Ichimaru-taichou." She kept her head bowed so that none of her chaotic feelings would be apparent to the smiling captain.

"It's nothin'. Ya busy workin' for yer beloved taichou, ain't ya? Ain't he lucky to have a devoted subordinate like ya?"

"Aizen-taichou is strong and kind, I only want to do my best to repay him," she replied, fixing her eyes resolutely on the papers in her arms. _'What is he getting at?'_

"True. Aizen-taichou's strong. After all, people say that a tiger hides its claws." Ichimaru walked past her. His last sentence was barely a whisper, so that only she could her it. "But if ya get caught by a tiger, it'll be hard for ya to get free from his claws."

She stood there in a daze as his footsteps moved further and further away. Her mind was whirling. What did he mean by that?!

* * *

"Sumimasen." Momo entered the captain's office of the Tenth Division.

"Ah, Momo-chan! Here to deliver documents from the Fifth?" Isshin looked up from his paperwork to smile at her.

"Hai!" After setting down the papers on an empty space on the table, she bowed and turned to leave. "I'll be going back now, Isshin-taichou." She smiled. The Tenth Division captain disliked formalities, and treated everyone as his close friends. His vice-captain was just as friendly. Toushirou was lucky to be in the Tenth.

"Wait a moment, Momo-chan. Since you're here, could you take some things back to the Fifth?" He turned to call through the wall, "Toushirou-chan! Bring those reports for the Fifth, please!"

A few moments later, Toushirou entered the office with a stack of papers, looking grumpy. "It's Hitsugaya, baka-taichou!"

"Shirou-chan! You have to treat your captain with more respect!" She admonished.

"You promised to call me by my real name after I graduated, Bed Wetter Momo!" he protested as he handed the papers to her.

"Now, now. You have to learn to be more friendly, Hitsugaya-kun." A slim hand came to rest upon Toushirou's snowy locks. He crossed his arms but made no move to dodge away.

"Masaki-fukutaichou!" Momo quickly bowed to the Tenth's vice-captain. She noted with a smile that Toushirou seemed to accept her as a sort of mother. It was sweet.

"Toushirou-kun! There you are!" A busty lady burst into the office. "Ah, Taichou, Fukutaichou, Hinamori-chan, I'll be taking him for a while! Ja ne!" She proceeded to drag Toushirou out from the room.

"Oi! Matsumoto! Let me go!" As expected, his protests fell on deaf ears and thus their voices soon faded into the hallway. Indeed, the Tenth Division was a lively bunch.

"I'll be taking my leave now, Isshin-taichou, Masaki-fukutaichou."

For the second time that day, Isshin's voice halted her in her steps. But the unexpected serious tone caused her to freeze completely. "Momo. I know that you respect your captain very much, but with blind devotion, you can never understand him. You have to be more careful, he may be more dangerous than anyone thinks."

She felt completely shell-shocked. Isshin seemed to know of Aizen's true face. But she already knows how dangerous he is, and nothing will make her turn back after all that she has done. "I'm sorry, Isshin-taichou, but I'm sure I can take care of myself."

As she passed Masaki, she could here the vice-captain's gentle voice saying, "Isshin just doesn't want you to get hurt. Please think about it." Without pausing, she fled from the building.

The cool air outside calmed her nerves slightly. There was no way she was backing down. She would see this to the end. Nothing, not even kind words of advice, would make her give up on this dangerous plan. Absolutely nothing.

* * *

"Hinamori-kun, was it?" Momo looked up in surprise to see her captain standing there smiling at her.

"Hai! I'm honored that you remember me, Aizen-taichou!" she bowed quickly.

"How could I forget? Even during your first year in the academy, you proved to be very brave. Your work in the Fifth has also been highly efficient."

"Thank you very much, Taichou! I'm just glad to be of help to the Division and Taichou."

"I'm indeed lucky to have someone like you by my side, Hinamori-kun." Aizen placed a hand on her head. "I'm sure that we can work together very well." With that, he continued on his way. Recovering from her shock, she turned around quickly to stare at his retreating back. Could this mean...?

* * *

Sure enough, the letter announcing her promotion to become the vice-captain of the Fifth Division came to her after a few days. She smiled as her eyes scanned through the words on the paper. Her hard work during her shinigami years had finally paid off. The position she had aimed for was finally hers. Yet her work was not done. There was still much to do until her goal could be achieved.

"Congratulations on your promotion, Hinamori-fukutaichou."

Momo looked up to smile at the person who had brought the letter to her. "Thank you, Masaki-fukutaichou."

Masaki stood up. "Although a promotion is wonderful for you, please do not forget Isshin's words to you."

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

Masaki sent her a last regretful look. "Please be careful. I'll be taking my leave now."

* * *

The captain and vice-captain of the Tenth Division have been declared to be missing after a mission in the Transient World. Rumors had been flying all over Seireitei for some time, but they finally received confirmation during the next meeting.

Behind her captain, Momo clenched her hakama. So this was what happens to those who discover Aizen's plot. All threats will be destroyed. There will be no one left to reveal his plans. She understood that should she ever show the slightly hint of suspicion, her fate would be sealed. Aizen would let his underlings take care of the problem, allowing him to have a perfect alibi. No fingers would even be pointed at him. Not for the Hollowfication all those years ago, nor for the later disappearances of various shinigami.

Dealing with Aizen was undoubtedly a dangerous business. That's why she was determined not to let any of her friends to become tangled in his web of lies. She would face this alone, even if it cost her life.

* * *

**_The next chapter will most likely be posted by the end of this week, so stay tuned! While you're waiting, there's that large button down there that is just calling out for you to press it~! Review please!_**


	5. Bound Lightning

**_Here it is! We finally enter the Bleach main storyline! Things are heating up! Enjoy!_**

**Me: Oops, I forgot to do disclaimers for the previous chapters! Ack! Don't sue me! (cries)**

**Momo: (pats) Don't worry. I'll do the disclaimer for you.**

**Aizen: Hinamori-kun, perhaps you would allow me this honor.**

**Momo: (sparkling eyes) Of course, Aizen-taichou.**

**Aizen: Stelra Etnae doesn't not own Bleach. (thousand watt smile)**

**Momo and I: ...... (twitch violently)**

**Me: On with the story!**

* * *

Momo had finally succeeded in reaching the vice-captain spot under Aizen. Kira had become the vice-captain as well, in the Third Division under former Fifth-Division vice-captain Ichimaru Gin. Hisagi was the Ninth Division captain Tosen Kaname's vice captain. Ichimaru and Tosen. She had seen them that night. Both were working under Aizen. What were they planning?!

"Congratulations, Abarai-kun!" Kira and Momo had just finished announcing Renji's promotion to him. He honestly looked completely lost for words.

Well, Kuchiki-taichou isn't one to be involved in Aizen's plan. Even so, she couldn't help but feel that Aizen was manipulating all of them, including Renji. If she was not careful, she may become completely taken in as well.

* * *

Momo sat alone in the waiting room after receiving the order. She hadn't seen Aizen-taichou since working hours. He would have reached the meeting by now, yet she wondered where he had been before. Was this emergency meeting a sign that he had made a move? Her hands slowly clenched her hakama.

Hearing voices, she quickly relaxed her hold on the cloth and looked up. Renji and Iba had just entered the room. They were the first ones there.

"What do you expect, all the captains and vice-captains are scattered around Soul Society with their missions. It'll take at least half a day to gather everyone." It was Rangiku, Toushirou's new vice-captain. Her words made Momo realize a problem. With everybody scattered like that, no one would notice if Aizen or his subordinates were not where they should be. Even Toushirou could not be found, according to Rangiku.

As captains had become the topic of discussion, she took the chance to ask if Renji had seen Aizen. By his expression, he had met with him and found something suspicious which he would rather not tell her. But he denied it, and she couldn't question at the risk of blowing her cover as an innocent little girl.

"...I think... he's been acting strange... He doesn't tell me what's wrong, no matter how many times I asked, what should I do...?" She sneaked a look at Renji, who was looking rather thunderous. Something was definitely wrong, but he just refused to tell her.

Aizen's secrecy was hampering her searching, but by not bringing her closer to him, he had less chance of discovering her doings. Well, he was going to make the same mistake as Hirako-taichou, keeping her at a distance. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but Aizen underestimated her. The guise was perfect. She was his adoring fan who would never think of doing anything bad to her beloved Aizen-taichou. She was the perfect vice-captain to him as she wouldn't suspect anything of him. _'Well, Aizen, you miscalculated.'_

Renji tried to comfort her with that nonchalant attitude of his. But she didn't think that this meeting was no big deal. Something must have happened. That something might just aid Aizen's plans.

"Alert! Alert! Intruders in the city! All personnel should report to their stations. I repeat! Alert! Intruders in the city! Please return to your appointed stations!"

"Intruders?!" _'What is this? Is this part of your plan, Aizen?'_

* * *

"Something is falling! Move back, everyone! Hinamori-kun!"

"O-okay!"

"It collided! It hit the Shakonmaku and stopped!"

"It hit the Shakonmaku and didn't disappear. Then that means that is a high concentration of spiritual energy..." said Aizen, looking surprised.

She stared at the ball of light high in the air. With this commotion, Aizen could do whatever he wanted without anyone noticing. The events were progressing so fast that she feared she may not be able to follow his movements.

* * *

When Kira told her that Renji had been injured badly by the intruders, she rushed to him quickly. The sight that met her was terrible.

"How can this be?!"

"When I found him, he was already like this... If I had found him earlier, I could have joined in the battle..."

"It's okay. This... Anyways, hurry up and contact the Fourth Division. And ask for a higher officials' assistance..."

"There is no need. Throw him in jail." A voice behind the duo startled them.

"Kuchiki-taichou!"

"N...no... Abarai-kun faced the intruders alone, and now you..."

"I don't want excuses. Since he was fighting alone, there's no reason why he should have lost. I don't want an idiot who can't even understand this. He's just getting in the way, so hurry and move him somewhere else."

"Please... Please wait! How can you say that...?" _'How could he treat his subordinate like this?'_

"Never mind!"

"But, Kira-kun..."

"I'm very sorry!" Kira-kun bowed deeply.

"I...I'm very sorry..." With that, the captain left in a swish of his robes.

"Oh, so scary!"

She recognized that voice immediately. It never failed to send shivers down her spine. "Ichimaru-taichou!"

"He actually said those words. The Sixth Division captain is scary as usual. Don't worry! I can help you contact the Fourth Division. Come with me, Izuru."

"Hai."

"Sorry to trouble you!" she said, bowing as they left. Ichimaru Gin was Aizen's trusted second-in-command, even after all these years. No doubt he was fully in Aizen's confidence. Her hands clenched the cloth of her shihakusho tightly.

"Owah! How did Abarai get beaten up so badly?"

"Wah~?! Hi-Hitsugaya-kun!" Although he is a captain, Momo needed to make sure that he understood that Aizen, whom she called by proper title, was on a completely different level. But then, she guessed it's also partly because the way he gets irritated is really cute.

The reason why he had sought her out surprised her.

"You have to watch out for the Third Division. I'm talking about Ichimaru, but watch out for Kira as well. Especially... when Aizen is taking a walk at night."

So he had noticed something fishy about Ichimaru. _'But the true mastermind is Aizen, Hitsugaya-kun! Don't fall into his trap!'_

* * *

"Special wartime instructions! Special wartime instructions! All seated shinigami are now allowed to carry this zanpakuto in the city. Second, the ban on full power release is lifted. The above is the direct order of the 1st Division, Commander General, Yamamoto-Genryuusai-sama. The enemy was able to defeat Abarai-fukutaichou, and there is no telling who they will target next. Please be careful, Hinamori-fukutaichou!"

"Okay."

_'Abarai-kun... Why did you end up like this? Who would have thought that he would be the first to fall?_

'_Isn't it better not to take our weapons and just keep things peaceful? This will just create bloodshed, which is what I want to avoid the most. Isn't it enough that Aizen is apparently planning the destruction of Soul Society?! But of course, no one knows that. Even if I reveal it to Seireitei at large, he will probably create an illusion to show otherwise.'_

"Aizen-taichou..." What disaster will this bring?

"I really, really don't want to fight anyone..."

* * *

_**Things are really heating up now! With Aizen's betrayal looming, what will Momo do? Look forward to the next chapter! While waiting, review please! ...Pretty please?**_


	6. Curved Light

**_Sorry for the lateness, but I have been banned from the computer during weekdays (woe is me) so this is my first chance to update this week. And the fact that there's something wrong with document manager, until I had to find another way to upload this chapter. But in the end, I managed it. So enjoy!_**

* * *

She bowed and apologized profusely for her blunders. This was Hinamori-fukutaichou, the personality that she showed to the world, who adores her captain and wouldn't want to cause him trouble.

True to his own fake character, he gave her a kind smile and words of assurance. As he stated, the image that he projects to others during the day is flawlessly caring. Yet appearances could be so deceiving...

They talked for a while, idle chatter to pass the time. But he revealed nothing of his plan. After some time, her body could not take it anymore and she dozed off.

* * *

She awoke to the sound of an alarm clock. Remembering where she was, she bolted up with an apology ready on her lips. A look around the room revealed that she was alone. A glance at the clock, however, revealed that this was not surprising. She was about to be late for the meeting!

After throwing on her clothes, she dashed along the side of the building. Deciding to take a shortcut, she jumped lightly over a block and turned the corner. The scene that met her eyes was one she had never expected to see.

The sight was truly gruesome. Blood splattered all around the bespectacled captain, with much more flowing down the wall. Her mind went blank for a moment. She screamed. Behind her, she could hear the footsteps of the other vice-captains arriving on the scene, and their shocked intakes of air.

"Aizen-taichou! Aizen-taichou! No!! This isn't real! Aizen-taichou!" The truth clicked into place. This isn't real... Kyoukasuigetsu. Complete hypnosis. She clutched the wall to support her weak knees. Aizen had made his move. What was Soul Society's fate? What should she do?! Tears started to form in her eyes, and her whole body shook uncontrollably. She was scared. She didn't know what to do anymore.

"What's going on? Who's screaming so early in the morning?"

Her eyes widened and she turned in shock. Ichimaru Gin stood there as if nothing had happened. Aizen's right-hand man. Of course he would have been involved in this. He would know everything. There was a slim chance that Ichimaru would reveal anything, and a much larger possibility that he might kill her, but she was desperate. She had to know the truth in this.

"Was it you?!" she shrieked, charging at him. She was so close when a familiar blond figure appeared in front of me. "Kira-kun?"

"I am the vice-captain of the 3rd Division! No matter what reason you have, I cannot let you raise your sword against my captain!" Wabisuke blocked her slash at Ichimaru's neck.

"Please move aside, Kira-kun..." _'Ichimaru has him wrapped around his finger! Don't be fooled by him, please... I don't want to fight you.'_

When both of them refused to back down, she decided to take drastic measures. "Hajike! Tobiume!"

She activated her zanpakuto's offensive attack. They skidded back from the force of the explosion. Now, Kira was in her way. If she had to defeat him before she could reach Ichimaru, so be it. She changed her stance as he rushed towards her. Her sword didn't hit metal. It hit the floor, pushed down by a sandaled foot.

"Don't move." She started at the voice of her childhood friend. As she was taken away to be locked up, she looked back to where Toushirou was talking to Ichimaru. Both seemed to be tense. _'What are they talking about?'_

* * *

Momo stared at the letter in her hands which Rangiku had given her, penned by Aizen. _'The nerve! How could he malign Hitsugaya-kun?!'_ Her hands clenched around the paper. Now she had no choice but to do what was expected, despite her wishes to the contrary. This was likely a test of her loyalty. She stood and called the shinigami in charge of her cell over. Some kidou did the trick.

After releasing herself from the jail, she quickly shunpo'ed to where she could feel Toushirou's reiatsu. So he had gone to face Ichimaru, thinking that he was the culprit. Though it would be good to let Toushirou defeat Ichimaru, there was too much possibility that the opposite would happen. She couldn't allow that!

Landing between the two captains, she unsheathed Tobiume. As expected, Toushirou tried to stop her from attacking Ichimaru. But when she had her sword fully drawn, it was pointed towards her best friend. His eyes mirrored the shock he felt. But this would dissolve any of Aizen's suspicions, and distract Ichimaru from attacking as well.

Her sword came down on him haphazardly, and she knew that Toushirou would have no problem at all to dodge it. Now she had to find somewhere to get him out of here. But... this was becoming too much. Aizen was forcing them to fight probably to try to get rid of both of them together. Tears clouded her vision, and she couldn't help but release some of her weakness. "...I don't know what to do anymore... Shirou-chan..." Getting hold of herself again, she rushed into another attack.

But she didn't expect him to suddenly rush to attack Ichimaru. She dove into his way, blocking his advance. Swinging her sword, she prepared to deal a blow using the flat side of the blade with enough force to knock him out. Yet before she had the chance, Toushirou knocked her to the ground. _'Damn...'_ Her head was throbbing, and she felt so disorientated that she couldn't get up. _'Stop...'_ She could hear their conversation, and when they started fighting she tried to get off the ground, but failed. It seemed also partly due to the amazing amount of reiatsu that both of them were releasing.

She heard a blade cutting through the air towards her, and yelled at her body to move, but to no avail. Before she could do anything, there was the sound of metal hitting metal and she was aware that Rangiku had stopped Shinsou with her zanpakuto.

When Ichimaru left, she relaxed and attempted futilely to ignore the pain. Toushirou picked her up gently, and next thing she knew, she was in the Fourth Division.

* * *

She couldn't sit in this room doing nothing! Toushirou had sealed her into a room in the Tenth Division so that he could keep an eye on her. But the barrier he had set up was made to protect her from outside attacks, therefore was weak from attacks from inside. She broke through Toushirou's barrier with ease, and set out in search of him.

_'Central 46? What are Hitsugaya-kun and Rangiku-san doing here?'_ She saw them chasing a person that seemed to be Kira, but curiosity compelled her to step into the chamber. Her eyes widened. "What...happened here? All the members of the Central 46 are dead... Every one of them..."

She heard footsteps behind her, so she continued to babble on incoherently. _'Who? Whoever it is, they already know I'm here. I can't let anybody guess my motives, so better be safe than sorry.'_

"Welcome, Hinamori-chan." She shivered when she recognized who it was. _'Ichimaru Gin. Does that mean that Aizen is here?'_

She followed the captain further into the building. Apparently, it was Seijyoutou Kyorin, the residental area of the Central 46.

"Why did you bring me here...Ichimaru-taichou?"

"There's someone who wants to see you. Look behind you."

She turned, and found herself face to face with her greatest enemy. "Aizen...taichou."

"It's been a while, Hinamori-kun." _'Is it the real person standing there looking at me, or an illusion?'_

"Is it really you, Aizen-taichou? I thought you were dead..." If he was, it would have been too good to be true. She moved closer to him. Kyoukasuigetsu? If it was the ability of his zanpakuto, it was truly amazing. But this seems to be the real one. She latched onto the front of his haori. And burst into tears.

They both slipped into their other personality seamlessly, she as the distraught but delighted vice-captain, he the caring captain. When would it end? Pain suddenly blossomed in her chest. "Goodbye," he said softly. Blood gushed from the place when he had stabbed her.

"This can't be..." Her mind registered shock. _'Has Aizen finally uncovered my deceit?'_ She collapsed onto the ground, wavering between consciousness and oblivion. She vaguely heard the two captains leaving, and then the presence of a third individual. Tousen? No, she could hear his voice now, not to mention recognize his reiatsu. _'Hitsugaya-kun... Please leave now, I don't want you involved in this. You're no match for him...'_ But she knew hope was lost when he shunpo'ed into the room to see her lying on the floor. No... she sank into darkness as the temperature dropped drastically, and not because she was dying.

* * *

**_Finally, we have reached the end of the Soul Society arc. Unfortunately, as I have an important exam coming up next month, my parents have greatly reduced my computer usage. T_T So the next update will most likely be sometime around mid-october. I'm sorry for any complaints, but that's that. Until then, review!_**


	7. Six Rods Prison of Light

**_I'm sorry for being so late! But despite much delay, finally we leave the Soul Society Rescue arc, and enter the Arrancar arc! I hope you like this chapter!_**

* * *

Momo was standing alone, surrounded by a forest. A never ending stream of white petals floated down all around her, swirling in the light breeze. She raised her hand to catch a falling plum blossom and stroked the petals gently. The floor was covered with white petals, but she knew that beneath her feet, there was nothing but air. The snowy layer merely gave the illusion that there was earth underneath. In truth, this entire forest of plum trees was floating in mid-air.

As usual, her zanpakuto's spirit was nowhere in sight, but she knew that she would hear her.

"I want to become stronger, Tobiume."

Suddenly, she spotted a figure leaning against a tree nearby. The constant falling petals obscured Tobiume from view, but Momo didn't try to get closer to see her zanpakuto properly. The mystery was a part of Tobiume, therefore she would not disturb it.

"Continue to train. When the time comes, I will give you my power. Until then, look within yourself. What do you truly want?"

Before she could ask about the meaning of Tobiume's words, the falling petals increased in the suddenly strong wind and her world faded into white.

* * *

Momo opened her eyes to a white ceiling. Blinking, she noted that she was lying on a bed, most likely in the Fourth Division. Why...? Suddenly, memories flashed through her mind. Central 46, Aizen, sword, Aizen, blood, Hitsugaya-kun... "Aizen-taichou..." the name slipped through her lips, the honorific a force of habit. She looked up when the door opened, and saw Unohana. The uncharacteristically hard glint in her eye told Momo that Aizen had completely blown his cover.

The Fourth Division captain smiled when her eyes fell on the girl. "How are you feeling? You have been unconscious for some time."

Momo sat up slowly. "A little sore..." Tentatively, she looked up at the captain. "What...happened?"

Unohana hesitated, worried that the news would harm her patient's recovery.

"Please... I want to know..."

"...When we found you collapsed on the ground in Central 46, you were suffering from shock and blood loss. Hitsugaya was deeply wounded as well, but he has since recovered and left for a mission...." Unohana paused for a moment, averting her eyes from Momo's hopeful look. "For his actions, Aizen Sousuke has been branded as a traitor to Soul Society."

Momo slumped against the wall. She almost didn't notice Unohana's departure due to the thoughts spinning through her head. So Aizen had truly revealed his true colors... This would prove to be an obstacle. She could no longer keep an eye on the man's doings.

But the current situation revealed a new possibility. Aizen's attempt to murder her may have merely been to destroy a tool so that it wouldn't turn against him in the future. He was definitely capable of this. Either way, whether it was a rid himself of a used tool or a traitor, it was best to be cautious. She would have to continue to her act, so that Aizen would not have the slightest realization of her true aim.

* * *

As she walked on the streets of Seireitei, she could feel the pity in the glances she received from the shinigami she passed. But she had no time to dwell on it. Whether or not Aizen had discovered her deceit, she needed to become stronger if she wanted to defeat him herself. She had proved herself to be powerless many times, and she couldn't afford that in the final battle.

She had to do her own training, as most of the ranked officers were stationed either in the fake Karakura town or Hueco Mundo. She also didn't want anyone to know about this training to avoid any questions.

Nevertheless, she was not going to let that keep her down. No matter what, she had to make sure that Aizen would be gone for good this time, even if it meant that she would have to kill him with her own hands. With that, she clenched Tobiume's hilt with renewed determination, a steely spark glinting in eyes covered by her bangs.

* * *

Standing at the center of a clearing in a forest, Hinamori Momo locked eyes with Tobiume.

She took in the dark brown hair, large eyes and pink kimono. Tobiume looked deceptively gentle and fragile, but underneath the facade hid pure power beyond expectations. Like shinigami, like zanpakuto.

"I want to become stronger, no matter what it takes."

"To what end?"

This time, Momo had an answer for her. "I will defeat Aizen. To protect my friends, to ensure no one else is hurt by him. I want strength for my friends."

A long moment passed as Tobiume eyes bore into Momo's, delving into her soul. Yet Momo's determined eyes never wavered. Tobiume smiled in satisfaction. "I will help you achieve it."

* * *

Days later, she waited nervously for Yamamoto-soutaichou to finish his briefing. She didn't know what to say to Hitsugaya, but she had to do this. She looked like a nervous wreck, which most people would credit to stress from Aizen's betrayal. The truth was that she had been training day and night for these few days, but their conclusion suited her purpose well. No one would suspect anything as long as she kept her reiatsu firmly under control.

As the time passed, she worried her lower lip with her teeth. Would this conversation be bugged? Would Aizen bother to listen in on the communications between Seireitei and the Transient World? She couldn't take any chances, but she had to warn Hitsugaya. Clenching her hakama, she steeled herself for what she was going to say. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of any other way.

When Yamamoto-soutaichou stepped away from the screen, she moved forward. The full screen feature of this communication device gave a full-size image that was honestly rather disconcerting. It was almost as if Hitsugaya stood before her. Would he be able to see through her?

With a rather pained smile, she chatted with him for a while. There was a semblance of normality as he commented on her figure, or lack thereof. The atmosphere could even have been described as cheerful. She regretted having to break it. The main topic was broached.

"Are you going to fight Aizen-taichou?" Although she pretty much knew the answer to this question, she had to hear if from him. When he confirmed her suspicions, her hopes shattered. She didn't want him to put himself in danger. Not to mention that it was must likely because of her.

"Are you going to kill him?" Although he was a genius, a so-called Celestial Guardian, in his current state he was no match for Aizen. Trying to fight him was courting death, and she didn't want him to die.

"Please save..." '_I don't want to lose you!'_ Biting her lip, she changed her words before she slipped up, "...Aizen-taichou..." Though in her heart she wanted to tell him the truth, the worry that it would ruin her plans ran deep. Hopefully, this would be enough to make him hesitate in singling out Aizen.

The rest came out in a jumble, incoherent words spilled out in her frantic attempt to get the message across. Ichimaru came to her mind. Ichimaru Gin, the man whose loyalties could not be truly grasped even now.

"What Aizen-taichou is doing is bad but I bet he has a good reason for it... Yeah, that's it! Surely Ichimaru-taichou or someone is forcing him..."

Her vision faded to black. Had she done the right thing? She wasn't sure.

* * *

_**Thank you for reading, and I hope you will review as well. The last scene was rather tricky to do, so I would love to hear your comments on it. Does it sound too forced? Review, please!**_

_**PS- Would you like to see Momo's training in the next chapter or should I skip straight to the Winter War?**_


	8. Disintegrating Circle

**_I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in so long! I've had major writer's block. That and my experience writing fighting scenes is close to nil, so I had to try a few times to make it flow smoothly enough for my satisfaction. But finally this chapter is done! I apologize for the shortness, but I've pretty much hit the end of the manga's progress so far. Momo doesn't have any more scenes yet. So I'm going to start my version of the ending! Further details at the end of the chapter, so you don't have to read so much now. _**

**_Enjoy the chapter!_**

* * *

Calm thinking had given her a clearer mind. There was no time to regret the past. There was only one goal in mind, and that was Aizen's defeat. She would no longer hesitate.

* * *

Cloaking her reiatsu, she passed through the Senkaimon. The moment she stepped onto the battlefield, she sensed Hitsugaya's reiatsu. He was no doubt disturbed by her presence, but there were more pressing matters at hand.

"Hajike, Tobiume!"

As the smoke cleared, her eyes met Rangiku's. She could see the doubt and worry in her friend's orbs, so she tried her best to reassure her. Finally, she could say it out loud. That she wasn't Aizen's underling nor was she a weak little girl immersed in self-pity.

Suddenly, the fight was on once again. As all three attacked, she braced herself to activate the kido trap she had woven earlier. Things were going just as she planned.

She had woven Fushibi into a net and covered it with Kyakko to conceal it. Touching her zanpakuto to one strand of the web, she activated it with Shakkaho. The entire area surrounding them exploded.

The attack took a lot of effort, but it seemed to have been successful. It had been a new combination taught to her by Tobiume during their intensive training. With a kido-based zanpakuto, kido became much more versatile.

Yet just as she thought that the arrancar had been defeated, they were faced with a greater challenge.

"What's...that...?"

"Chimera Parca! It's our pet, made from each of our left arms. Its name is Allon," one of the arrancar proudly proclaimed.

Staring into the holes that may have been eyes, it was like looking into a bottomless pit... Never ending... No warmth... No life...

Faster than any of them could react, the monster moved in to attack.

"Rangiku-san!" Catching her friend as she fell, Momo quickly activated Tsuriboshi to soften the impact of their fall. But even as she was preparing to heal Rangiku, Allon appeared behind her. With one blow, she was knocked down.

'This is ridiculous... We'll never defeat it the way we are now... I'll have to get serious.' She braced herself to launch a counterattack.

"Bakudo 37, Tsuriboshi!"

"You did a good job, but now you can rest, Hinamori. We'll take care of this one."

Her eyes widened at the sight of Kira and Hisagi. Between them, surely they could defeat Allon.

She watched as Kira brought Rangiku to her side and enclosed them in a barrier.

"I'm fine. Quick, help Rangiku..." Her injuries hurt badly, but Rangiku was in a much more critical condition. She prayed that her friend could be saved.

All around them, the battle raged.

* * *

_**Well, we've reached the end. This story will be suspended until Momo appears in canon again. Meanwhile, I'm starting a new story soon, a sort of sequel to this story. The timeline continues the events concerning Momo after this chapter, depicting my version of the end of the Winter War and the subsequent events. The most recent manga chapters' events will be added in as well, so whatever manga updates that occur between this time and the time I post the first chapter of the new story will be in the fic (Is that understandable...? X_X). **_

_**Anyway, please support the sequel as well! Review please!**_

_**PS- if you want me to send you a PM when I post the sequel up, do tell me in the review. Thanks for supporting my fics!**_


	9. Abolishing Flames

**_Finally, Momo appears again! Totally unexpected progress, and gave me a huge shock, but thanks to that I can update!_**

**_Warning: Spoilers up to Chapter 392 of the manga._**

**_Do pardon the battle scenes, I don't have much experience writing them. If you have any tips or comments, please feel free to tell me! (Note: Kido glossary at bottom of chapter)_**

**_Hope you enjoy it~! Please read and review! Thank you in advance!_**

* * *

Closing her eyes, Momo focused on healing herself. Even for a kido master, healing oneself was difficult, but could be accomplished if done slowly and with proper concentration. Letting reiatsu flow towards the wound, she managed to close the gash in her middle. Panting from exhaustion, she lay there for a while to catch her breath.

Softly so that no one could hear, she cast a spell to conceal her presence. "Bakudou #26, Kyokko(1)." The kidou worked to hide her completely, whether in terms of sight or reiatsu. To ensure the others didn't notice her leaving, she left a replica of herself made with kidou in her place. It was time to take action.

Standing at the edge of the battlefield, she observed the ongoing fight. The Ryoka boy had appeared, and a group of people also entered the battle to support him. Momo gasped as a figure suddenly shot forward without warning. She hastened forward as she recognized her childhood friend, mindful to maintain the barrier kido at all times. Drawing her zanpakuto, she prepared to launch an attack.

Her grip on the hilt of Tobiume tightened as she listened to Aizen deliberately provoking Hitsugaya. Entering the scene, Kyouraku slashed at Aizen who evaded it quickly. Having Aizen suddenly appear behind her almost gave her a heart attack. She took a deep breath to calm herself. _'Relax, as long as I continue using Kyokko, he won't know I'm here... That he happened to shunpo here is just a coincidence...'_

"How rude of you, I was in the middle of talking, Kyouraku-taichou," complained Aizen. Then, so softly that only she could hear, he whispered, "Don't you agree, Hinamori-kun?"

Her heart thumping erratically, she shunpoed away from that spot. Staring with wide eyes at Aizen, her worst fears were confirmed when he smirked evilly in her direction. What had gone wrong?

A sudden chill heralded the release of Daiguren Hyourinmaru. Hitsugaya was clearly enraged. "You're right, Aizen. My blade is full of hate. I didn't come here to fight you. I came to violently hack you into pieces!"

As ice streaked towards Aizen, Momo tossed all caution to the winds and jumped straight into the fray. As he leapt to evade Hitsugaya's attack, she bore down upon him from above.

"Why, Hinamori-kun, what a surprise! Do you hate me that much?" How she longed to wipe that smirk right off his face.

She gritted her teeth in anger. "Aizen! Today you will die!" Sensing the arrival of backup, she moved away at the last moment just as the huge blade of Komamura-taichou's bankai came down upon them. Surely Aizen had been caught in the attack. There had been no time for him to evade it.

Her eyes widened as the sword broke into two. Aizen stood there, unscathed.

"You thought you could destroy me by striking with power? How naive. No, perhaps we differ in our basic understanding of the word 'power'. I shall enlighten you. This is what is known as 'power'." With hardly any visible effort on Aizen's part, the Seventh Division Captain was cut down.

She had no choice now but to give it her all.

In truth, Tobiume's shikai ability allowed her to utilize all kidou spells she knew without any incantation whatsoever. Even so, the attacks had several times more power than normal kidou. It also let her freely combine different spells to form a unique effect. Her customary pink orb attack was merely one of her many abilities, a modified Shakkaho(2). No doubt she was worthy of being called a kido master.

She dove forward towards Aizen, but he disappeared before her eyes. A swish of air behind her alerted her to an attack, and she turned to see two Aizens bearing down upon her. Clones?! No doubt neither was the real one, but even his clones could do severe damage should they catch her.

Quickly, she cast a kidou spell, utilizing her zanpakuto ability to strengthen its power. Hakufuku(3) was a kidou spell which muddles the consciousness of its target. Thus confused, her opponent's movements became erratic and they started to attack each other. With swift movements, she cut them down.

But there was no time to relax. Immediately, another attack came from behind, forcing her to hurriedly parry it. Her opponent's zanpakuto broke. Casting Rikujokoro(4), she froze her enemy's movements. That clone went the same way as the others.

Her next opponent appeared some distance away from her, and didn't attack immediately. Momo stood there regaining her breath, glaring at the figure suspiciously. Suddenly, the clone split into many others.

As they charged towards her, she quickly raised up her zanpakuto, only to find that she couldn't move. Ice coated her zanpakuto, freezing her arm as well. There was something decidedly strange about this whole battle, but she didn't have the time to think further. Her attacker had almost reached her! Summoning a shield of condensed reiatsu(5), she blocked the attack in the nick of time.

Yet pain blossomed in her chest, and she turned to see another one standing behind her on the pillar of ice, looking down with a cold gaze.

Looking further beyond the ice, she saw a figure with his katana drawn charging towards her. Frantically, she summoned a barrier kidou to shield herself from the attack. Her eyes fell on someone standing a distance away. She vaguely recognized him, but in her panic-ridden mind couldn't summon the memory. As she watched him swing his zanpakuto in an arc, she felt a sinking feeling of dread. There was something seriously wrong with this situation.

She gasped as a sword pierced her from the back. She reached a hand out to touch the blood-soaked katana, knowing that it was futile. "Damn it..." After all her training, she was still no match for Aizen after all.

A strangled voice behind her chilled her to the bone. It wasn't Aizen, as she expected. The ice-cold reiatsu seeping into her skin, despite the layers of her shihakusho, was too familiar to be mistaken. Staring at the bloodstained zanpakuto, she heard Hitsugaya's anguish-filled voice. "Hinamori?" Even without looking back, she could picture his face twisted by horror.

"Shiro-chan... Why...?" How did it turn out like this? Looking around her, the Aizen clones had been replaced by faces she knew well. Soifon-taichou, Kyouraku-taichou... Even Hirako-taichou, the former Fifth Division Captain whom she remembered from that day... Everyone had been deceived by Aizen, including her! He had been using Kyoukasuigetsu all along, forcing them to fight among themselves!

Aizen! Her gaze fell on the form standing below, a proud figure among the fallen forms of her friends. This man had done so much harm to her loved ones! Her heart clenched just thinking of it.

Pain filled her body and soul as she listened to Hitsugaya's cry of rage. When would this end?

**

* * *

**

Kidou glossary

**(1) Bakudou 26, Kyoukko (Curved Light) Hides the target from sight, by bending light. The spell has the ability to totally hide the presence and reiatsu of the user or specified object.**

**(2) Hadou 33, Shakkaho (Shot of Red Fire) Fires a ball of red energy at target.**

**(3) Bakudou, Hakufuku (White Crawl) Muddles the consciousness of its target.**

**(4) Bakudou 61, Rikujokoro (Six Rods Prison of Light) The target is not able to move any part of their body.**

**(5) Bakudou 39, Enkosen (Arc Shield) Summons a shield of condensed reiatsu to block opponents' attacks.****_So, now we're have reached the most recent manga chapter so far. Depending on the progress of the manga, I may have to wait for a while to collect enough content to post the next chapter. _**

* * *

**_Meanwhile, I'll be working on my new fic, and hopefully I can post it soon. It revolves around Hitsugaya Toshiro, Hyourinmaru and Kusaka Sojiro, with a different take on reincarnation than the usual one. Hope you will support it as well!_**

**_Please review! I appreciate any comments very much._**


	10. Hundred Steps Fence

_**Since the Aizen arc is over and there was nothing about Momo except that she was recovering, I decided to conclude this story the way I want it to end. I hope you like it!**_

* * *

"Momo..."

"...wake..."

"Hinamori-kun..."

A jumble of voices sounded from around her, indistinct and garbled. She heard words as though there was cotton stuffed in both of her ears.

"I'm sorry..."

Don't... Shiro-chan... Momo tried to reach to him, but her body was unbearably heavy. She couldn't even muster the strength to open her eyes.

She lay suspended in a strange oblivion, hearing little snippets of conversation now and then, but most of the time she was alone. A nagging pain floated around her.

Something tempted her, telling her to discard the pain, the sounds, the light. It would be so easy to sink into endless sleep, where she would not have to think or feel. Eternal peace was so very tempting...

'Don't you dare, Hinamori Momo!'

A voice ruthlessly cut through the darkness. It was unlike the others, clear but more like a presence than sound. That presence was warm, inviting and familiar.

The darkness cleared to reveal a figure glowing brightly. Stunning though it was, the light did not burn her eyes.

She smiled then. "Tobiume..."

Tobiume's stern expression eased when she realized that Momo could see and hear her again. She drew closer and held out a hand. "Come," she said, "You've slept for long enough."

Momo grasped that hand and the inky surroundings dissolved into light.

* * *

Momo woke up surrounded by white. She blinked, her eyesight blurring slightly. Immediately, there was movement around her as Unohana-taichou arrived to check on her.

"You've been asleep for three weeks, Hinamori-fukutaichou. Your condition was critical, but I'm glad to see that you have recovered well," the 4th Division captain said as she fussed over Momo.

Momo felt deep relief. That they were alive and free surely meant that they had won the battle against the enemy. Nevertheless, she had to be sure.

"Aizen?" she managed to croak with a voice long-unused. She accepted Isane's cup of water gratefully.

The 4th Division commanding officers glanced at each other. "He was sentenced to prison." Unohana finally said, wary of her patient's reaction. "For 20,000 years."

Momo silently took in the information. Part of her wanted him to be dead, but she supposed the long sentence would make him suffer. She wanted to ask about how he had been defeated. But another matter overrode the curiosity. "Were there... were there casualties?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"None in the ranks of the captains and vice-captains," Unohana told her, understanding the hidden question. "Hitsugaya-taichou was released two weeks ago."

Momo breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ichimaru Gin died when he turned against Aizen."

Momo didn't know what to feel about that. Ichimaru had always rather scared her, but he had warned her against Aizen when he guessed her plans. So he was a kindred spirit after all.

"When may I leave, Unohana-taichou?"

Unohana was obviously more worried about her mental state than her physical.

"I'm fine, Unohana-taichou." Momo met her gaze unwaveringly. "I won't do anything rash."

"Very well. You will be released tomorrow at earliest, however. You have to go through a check-up first."

Momo meekly submitted, knowing that the motherly captain wanted to keep her under watch for a while.

* * *

Rangiku came to see her while she was still in the 4th Division wards. She retained a slightly sad air, but Momo was glad to see that her friend was recovering well from the shock. Impulsively, she gave Rangiku a hug. No words were needed.

As they parted, Rangiku gave her a rather watery smile. The smile was sincere.

* * *

She found him training in a cave on the outskirts of Seireitei. Frost decorated the walls of the cave, and she savored the familiar icy feeling of his reiatsu.

She stood there for a while, silently watching him, masking her reiatsu. He had obviously been put through a lot in the past few months. It was something that she had never wanted for him. She would have shielded him from the world, she could. Unfortunately, it was beyond her abilities. He had emerged harder and colder. Yet what truly made her heart ache was the weakness she could sense hidden beneath the barrier. He had always been a sensitive child.

She realized that he had stopped and was staring at her. "How long have you been there?" he asked. He looked worried that he could not sense her reiatsu. Masking it was a technique that she had perfected through the years, but he could not know that. She loosened her hold, allowing her reiatsu to be felt normally.

"Not long. You shouldn't push yourself, Shiro-chan," she said, moving towards him. She could see the signs of strain in his eyes.

"I have to master my bankai," Toshiro said stubbornly. "If not, I can't protect..."

"I'm your Nee-san, Toshiro. I should be the one protecting you."

He looked at her in surprise, not expecting that. As she reached him, he sheathed Hyourinmaru so that he would not accidentally hurt her. His hands shook slightly as she took them in hers.

"I have to master it... Or else I might end up hurting someone again. Like when I couldn't control my reiatsu..." he bit his lip, refusing to look her in the eye. "I keep hurting the people around me..."

Momo once again saw the insecure little boy that was terrified of hurting others. She had to blink away the tears that sprang to her eyes. All this time, she had been trying to keep this from happening, but Aizen just had to make it worse with his tricks.

She pulled him to her, wrapping her arms comfortingly around him. "It wasn't your fault, Shiro-chan," she whispered fiercely. "Never think that it was. It definitely wasn't your fault."

* * *

"Is there anything else I can get for you, Hinamori-fukutaichou?"

"No, thank you," Momo smiled at the shinigami, but if said shinigami had been watching closely, he would have noticed a vein popping at her temple. Perhaps he did see it, for he bowed away hastily.

Momo gritted her teeth in frustration. In normal circumstances, a vice-captain would be thankful that her subordinates showed her proper respect and concern. However... this was the tenth time someone had asked her that in the past hour!

For how long would everyone treat her like a hot-house flower which needed to be sheltered and coddled?

Finishing the paperwork with a ruthless stroke of her brush, she rose and snatched up Tobiume. She stalked irately out of her office and into the courtyard.

"Akiyama!" she called towards one of the division's seated members. He started in surprise. "Let's fight."

"But fukutaichou..." protested her startled 3rd seat, clearly flustered. "You just recovered from your injuries not long ago."

"Cut the crap," Momo told him bluntly, earning herself shocked stares from the surrounding shinigami. Well, they had to be enlightened sometime. She was tired of the sweet girl image that she had projected for everyone till now. "I'm perfectly fine."

While the shinigami had been hesitating, she had already gone through a set of warm-up exercises. Glancing around in exasperation, she asked, "Isn't anyone going to try? I'm not made of glass, you know." Still they held back.

"I noticed a weird atmosphere around here. What's going on, Hinamori-kun?"

"Abarai-kun!" Momo turned to her old friend. "I have a lot of pent up stress now, but no one wants to oblige me." She unsheathed Tobiume. "How about it?"

Renji looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "If you insist," he said, drawing Zabimaru from its sheath. "But do remember that I have mastered bankai already. In fact, I just finished the captain's test."

"Third or Fifth?"

"Third." Renji said, moving into position. A circle of curious onlookers had already formed around them.

"Kira-kun will be pleased to get a captain that he can trust." Momo raised her zanpakuto. "It won't do you good to underestimate me though, Abarai-kun."

She lunged at him. By reflex, Zabimaru came up to block the attack. Renji's eyes widened slightly. The impact was stronger than he had expected from her. He jumped back and angled his blade to block a second attack from the side.

"Not bad." He countered the strike with his own, and the zanpakuto clashed with a loud metallic clang.

Momo's arms started to shake as they fought for the upper hand. If it was a battle of strength, she had no chance. However, she had some techniques up her sleeve. Now if it were a long-range fight...

"Hado #11, Tsuzuri Raiden!" She watched with satisfaction as Renji quickly withdrew his zanpakuto before the electricity could flow into it from hers. It was time to heat things up. "Hajike, Tobiume!"

Renji dodged out of the way of a blast and activated his shikai as well. "Hoeru, Zabimaru!"

Before the released zanpakuto could reach her, she conjured up a shield. "Bakudou #39, Enkosen!" The shield of condensed reiatsu took up most of the force, but she was still forced back by the attack. One moment later, Renji was in front of her. She quickly shunpo'ed away. "Bakudou #26," she whispered. "Kyokko." And she vanished.

She appeared immediately after behind him, holding Tobiume next to his throat.

Renji grinned. "I'm impressed. But you have an unfair advantage, Hinamori-kun."

Momo shot him a challenging look. "If you hadn't been underestimating me, this wouldn't have happened. Shall we have another match?"

"Bring it on."

From that they on, the 5th Division members gained a new kind of respect for their beloved fukutaichou.

* * *

When she was not overlooking the affairs of her division, she spent her time training. Every now and then, one of her friends would find time to spar with her, but most of the time she was alone.

Exhausted, she slumped against a tree, breathing heavily. She closed her eyes, deciding to continue after a brief rest.

'Why do you still seek power? Your greatest enemy is no longer poses a threat.' The familiar voice echoed in her mind. Her zanpakuto's spirit questioned her determination to heighten her ability.

"I may not have anything to avenge, but I still want to become stronger."

'Why?'

"Because I have things that I want to protect." She thought of Toshiro, Rangiku and her friends. She thought of her subordinates who were still reeling from the betrayal of their captain. She wanted to become someone that they could rely on. Someone they could trust.

"I will help you achieve it." There was satisfaction and quiet pride in that voice.

Momo smiled as she opened her eyes. The voice had not been in her mind, but had originated from in front of her. "Thank you, Tobiume," she said to the girl who stood before her.

* * *

"It seems that everyone has arrived. So let us continue with the promotion ceremony," Yamamoto-soutaichou announced.

The captains had already taken their positions on both sides of the hall according to their division. On his left were Soifon, Unohana Retsu, Kuchiki Byakuya, Kyouraku Shunsui, Hitsugaya Toshiro and Kurotsuchi Mayuri. On his right were Abarai Renji, Komamura Sajin, Hisagi Shuuhei, Zaraki Kenpachi and Ukitake Juushirou. The position of 5th Division captain was left empty, and the ceremony was held in order to fill that vacancy.

"It is common knowledge," the General-Commander continued, "That the position of 5th Division captain has been vacant for many years following the Winter War. There has been no shinigami qualified to take up the captaincy. However, I recently received a recommendation from the 10th Division captain Hitsugaya Toshiro. I summoned the vice-captain of the 5th Division. Then yesterday, I, Yamamoto-Genryuusai and three other captains examined the qualities of the potential captain with a captain's proficiency test. We concluded that her abilities and personality were suitable.

"Therefore, the former vice-captain of the 5th Division, Hinamori Momo who stands before us, you are now the newly appointed captain of the 5th Division."

* * *

Momo smiled as she walked through the familiar corridors of the 5th Division. When she had first entered after the promotion ceremony, silence had fallen as the Division members took in the sleeveless haori with its light green inner lining that she now donned over her shihakusho. For a few moments, all eyes in the courtyard had been focused on her.

Suddenly, cheering erupted in the courtyard of the 5th Division barracks. Startled, head poked out through the door and windows of the offices. Soon, the entire body of the 5th Division had joined in.

"Hinamori-taichou!" someone yelled out. Several others chorused it.

"This calls for a celebration!" another shinigami said from the crowd. Somehow, several bottles of sake were suddenly being passed around. Momo wondered if they had stashed it in their offices, like Rangiku did. Well, as long as it doesn't affect their work... With a grin, she accepted their cheerful congratulations. Looks like her new position as their captain was going to work out fine.

"Attention!" she yelled, making herself heard over the din. The noise died down to a more reasonable level. "After this, everyone get back to work! This is an order from your captain!" she said firmly. But the twinkle in her eyes belied the sternness of her words.

Everyone grinned and traded knowing looks. "Hai, taichou!"

* * *

_**Well, it's finally done! I hope you enjoyed reading Mask of Illusions! If you have any requests, or missing scenes that you want to see, I can add a sort of omake chapter after this. Please review to tell me what you think~! Thank you for supporting this fic!**_


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